The letter concerns their meeting in Paris January 2006 and describes their reports and offers a theme and resources for our annual day of prayer.Rome, 11 June 2006
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
To the members of the Vincentian Family
Dear brothers and sisters,
May the grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ fill your hearts now and forever!
With the purpose of being able to share efforts, achievements and difficulties, to plan together projects to be carried out, and to evaluate what was lived during the year 2005, the heads of the various branches of the Vincentian Family on the international level met in Paris from 27-29 January.
We each told of the most relevant activities of the past year, as well as the most important to accomplish in the present. We highlight here what was expressed:
• The International Association of Charities held its International Assembly in Santo Domingo with the theme, “Together with the poor on the road to peace,” and also shared with us its project for Institutional Strengthening.
• The Congregation of the Mission has programmed as basic lines for 2005-2010: going back to the basics in the Congregation, strengthening the missionary and international identity, and promoting the Vincentian Family.
• The Daughters of Charity highlighted the meeting of sisters serving with migrants, displaced people and refugees, the reception of the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord and the response to the victims of the tsunami, Katrina and other disasters.
• The Society of St. Vincent de Paul shared the steps taken to establish the Society in Western China and Saudi Arabia, as well as the preparation of a “Plan of Intervention in Africa.”
• The Religious of St. Vincent de Paul, which is established in France, Canada, Brazil and Africa, is continually seeking closer ties with the Vincentian Family. The Superior General is presently the spiritual advisor of the International Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The RSV celebrated the 50th anniversary of their foundation in western Africa.
• The Vincentian Marian Youth held their second General Assembly in Paris with the theme, “With a lay spirituality we share the Mission.” They also
participated in the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne, during which was held the Third Vincentian Meeting with the presence of members from different branches.
• The Association of the Miraculous Medal held its 2nd International Meeting in Rome with the theme, “Loved by the Father, guided by Mary and committed to the mission of the Church,” in the context of the 175th Anniversary of the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to St. Catherine LabourŽ.
• The Vincentian Lay Missionaries held their 2nd International Assembly at the Berceau with the theme, “Open your eyes to the world and your heart to the mission,” at which a new Coordinating Team was elected.
Invited as guests to our meeting were:
– Patrick Murphy, CM, and his team from De Paul University of Chicago. They presented to us the Vincent de Paul Leadership Project, whose object is to study and deepen the vision, values and practices of St. Vincent, as they are manifested today in the Vincentian leaders and organizations throughout the world. They intend to guarantee the continuity of the organizational genius and skill of St. Vincent in the service of the other.
– Mark McGreevy who told of the work of the Depaul Foundation, a movement which was born in 1985 in the London streets, as a response to the phenomenon of the homeless. Actually, it is present in seven cities and collaborates closely with the SSVP, CM, DC and AIC. For them it is a challenge to present the tradition and Vincentian language in the area of other confessions, to offer in the welcome centers a spiritual space and to maintain Vincentian values in the leaders.
Another subject to which we dedicated our study and discussion was dealing with clarifying the criteria for belonging to the Vincentian Family, before the reality that many groups state that they find in St. Vincent the inspiration for their work in favor of the poor. We see difficulty in opening the meeting to too many groups, but it seems interesting to invite one of them each year.
On this occasion it appeared convenient not to propose a common worldwide project at the level of the International Vincentian Family. Where common projects exist, they should be continued, especially those that began with the Campaign Against Hunger and the Campaign Against Malaria. Where none exist, the National Councils should animate the various branches to unite on the national, regional and local levels to develop common projects in favor of the most vulnerable.
On the subject for the celebration of the Vincentian Family around the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, this theme was proposed: “Love is infinitely inventive.” Given the profound message that this phrase of St. Vincent contains, in a separate document we are proposing material to be able to “Revise” and “Celebrate” our creativity, as Vincentians in the service of the most vulnerable.
Aware of the existence of different levels — for in some countries there is a functioning National Council and in others there is not; some countries have a
common Vincentian Family project and others do not — it will be your task to adapt this material to each reality. We hope that it will be valid too for reviewing there where it has not been possible to organize the National Council and to animate you to establish one. May it also be useful for those National Councils who decide to use it in the revision of their concrete service.
It would be very interesting for all of us, if you sent to the Vincentian Family mailbox: famvin@tin.it , a “report” of how this material we are offering served you, with the development of the “meeting” where you used it and the conclusions that you drew from it. Whatever be the reality on which you reflected, we are interested in knowing how you used it. For a Vincentian, nothing is small if it is accomplished to serve one who is “one of the littlest” since, with it, we are building the reality of the Kingdom “here and now.” We hope to hear from you.
With grateful hearts for all that the Lord allows us to do in favor of the most needy, we remain, fraternally, your brothers and sisters in St. Vincent,
Marina Costa President, AIC (Founded in 1617)
G. Gregory Gay, C.M.
Superior General, Congregation of the Mission (Founded in 1625)
Yvon Laroche, rsv
Superior General, Religious of
St. Vincent de Paul (Founded in 1845)
Yasmine Cajuste President Vincentian Marian
Youth (Founded in 1847)
Sr. Evelyne Franc, D.C.
Superioress General, Daughters of Charity (Founded in 1633)
José Ramón Díaz Torremocha President, Society of St. Vincent (Founded in 1833)
Mari Carmen Lupiañez President, MISEVI de Paul (Founded in 1999)
Benjam’n Romo, C.M. Coordinator of the International Association of the Miraculous Medal
(Founded in 1909)
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